Behind the Hero
by Live for the Moment
Summary: A secret, hidden by the Pokemon Leauge has been revealed to a carfully selected group of trainers. Their pasts are forever changed as they learn that somtimes a passion choses you. Some atempted horror later on.
1. Time never Forgets

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Behind the Hero

This is my first ever fanfiction so please review it once it's all done. All comments and constructive criticism are welcome. Praise is good to!J I would also like to mention Pokemon Master by Ace Sanchez. It's my favorite pokemon fanfic and I strongly recommend it. 

Oh, and some of the characters belong to the pokemon company people thingy…yeah, just don't sue me it's only a story! All other characters are property of me, so if for some odd reason you happen to like my story and want to use my characters for your own, please e-mail me and ask @ sarawattie@hotmail.com Thanks. 

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Chapter 1: Time never Forgets

Saffron Central, Special Care Hospital, pediatric wing:

Iron wheels rolled across a newly waxed floor. They squeaked under their load. A large metal cart with a heavy machine atop it, pushed by a middle-aged woman. She wore glasses and a long white lab coat. A doctor. She stopped the cart beside the doors of an elevator. Only a moment later, the doors slid open and a jumble of other doctors surrounding a stretcher hurried out. She could hear the yells and screams of a young child, but took little notice of it. Perhaps she didn't care. Perhaps she didn't want to. Whatever the reason, care or not, the horrific sounds were soon behind her as she proceeded upwards in the elevator. It slowed to a stop and a sudden look of pain and deep thought overcame her face as she stepped out. A wide corridor loomed directly in front of her. Signs hanging from the entrance read 'Recovery and Isolation rooms'. She proceeded on once again. The walls were painted a light purple and lit by bright ceiling lights and large windows. She had passed down this corridor many times before, but still; it had an apprehensive mood about it. She tried not to look into any of the rooms lining it. They were filled with deathly sick children. A sight she hated to look at, and could never bring herself to get use to. As she now approached the end of the hall a voice cot her attention.

"No…stop"

A boy stepped up to her side and pulled at her coat. She kneeled down to his height and put a hand on his shoulder. "What's wrong sweaty?" She said softly.

The boy's eyes narrowed a little as he said, "You're, her doctor, aren't you?" 

She glanced quickly at a room near the end of the corridor, then looked back at the boy "Whose doctor? She asked.

The boy just stared at her for a while. "You know who I'm talking about. Everybody in this wing dose." He crocked.

She closed her eyes. For a brief moment, it seemed as if she had lost hold on her world, letting the dominant forces, which she had tried to suppress, be freed. She nodded yes. When she opened her eyes again, the boy was starring at the machine, a horror struck look on his face. "Please, please don't. She hates that. It can't possibly be helping her." He begged.

She tried to look as reassuring and gentle as possible, but her expression barley changed. "I'm Sorry, your just to little to understand." She said, helping him back to his room. "There's nothing else we can do, and you need to rest."

"But…but the way she screams….. it's so awful, and, and when you bring her back…….. maybe, that's when it's time to just, just let go." His voice seemed desperate now, and his eyes were teary but the doctor was no longer listening. She smiled weakly before leaving his room. 

Once back in the hall, cart in hand, she found herself a few rooms down from the boy's. The unusually big metal doors and red framework caused it to stand out. As she entered, she noticed that she was shaking.

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* * * * *

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6 Years later:

Icy currents, drifting astray from the southwestern point of Lake Octet, intertwined their way through the massive hilltops of Mt. Moon. Combined with the gray skies of the oncoming winter, the rocky terrain was cloaked in a dismal gloom. Eerie beams of dim sunlight, just barley managed to make their way through thin patches in the clouds on awkward angels. As the mountain winds passed across the sky, the thin patches moved and shifted causing bizarre double shadows that seem to dance and disappear at will. Then, a glow, as bright and wondrous as a sapphire caching the raise of the sun, peered over the top of Lunar Peak, the highest point of Mt. Moon. It's brilliance, quickly spreading, cast it's self across the mountains surface. Only moments later a spectacular rainbow of every color imaginable shot straight towards the peak from every direction. It appeared to be made of what could only be described as pure energy. Though, breath taking as it was, the aurora like display lasted only seconds before vanishing into nothingness, and rendering the mountain as dull and obscure weathered, as it was only moments before.

* * * * *

****

4 Years later:

A boy, in about his late teens puzzled as he glance at the darkened room before him. Spinning back around, the door he had just entered through slammed shut in a downward motion. With the added darkness, it was almost impossible to make out the doorways, once obvious silhouette. 

"Hey!" He screamed, pounding his fists against the now solid looking wall, where the door should have been. "Will someone please tell me what the hell is going on here? Give me back my pokemon!"

Sighing, he turned back towards the emptiness of the room. Looking at it now as if for the first time he realized how strange it was. It was large, and the edges and corners were rounded off. A dull light glowed in the center, but it was unclear as to its source. He walked over to the light finding that the ground there was slightly elevated. 

After looking around a bit, the boy seemed to just give in and sat down against one of the walls. All he had been able to accomplish was a lost sense of direction, no longer knowing which side of the room he had entered from. 

* * * * *

It had started like any other morning. He had woken up in his apartment to find his best friend and life long companion asleep beside him. It was a small yellow pokemon with a long zigzagging tale that resembled a bolt of lightning. Dark fur tipped its ears and there was a red circle on each of its cheeks. All and all, it resembled a large mouse. A Pikachu. The boy smiled and opened the blinds to a huge window. His apartment had a really nice view. It was up high on a hill and over looked the small but growing Lavender Town. The Rising Sun filled the room with the warmth of the morning.

"Chaaaaaa" The Pikachu yawned as it stretched and woke up.

"Morning buddy" The boy said walking into the Kitchen. 

He pulled a box of Corn flakes out of the cupboard and began to poor some into a bowl. Pikachu jumped up beside him on the counter.

"Help your self" He said, heading back to the other room.

The Pikachu scrunched up its nose. "Pika….chuuuuu!" It yelled sending a shock at the boy. 

"Owe." He said coolly, smiling at his pokemon friend. "Just joking Pikachu. What will it be then, hum, Heinz 57, or maybe, Heinz 57, or, what about…"

He was interrupted by a knock on the door. Suddenly Pikachu's ears went back and it's tale stuck straight up. 

"Pika" it growled, shooting a look at the boy. 

He knew the look and locked the door. "Who is it?"

"Ashura Satoshi Ketchum?" A voice questioned from inside the apartment hall.

"Yah, who wants to know?" Ash asked back.

The voice didn't reply. Instead, soundlessly and as if by magic the lock unlocked and the door opened. Pikachu climbed up onto Ash's shoulder protectively as two people entered the room. They were warring the strangest get ups. Two shads of gray material, one a clothe like under-piece the other a metal almost armor like guard, on the knees, thighs, shins, upper and lower arms, chest area and boots made out of what looked to be the same material. As well as finger-less rubber gloves and an eye visor and what looked to be an ear and mouth communication piece attached to it. One appeared to be a girl, with long brown hair pulled back in a pony tale. The other, a tall, built guy with short light hair. Above all this however, what stood out the most was that they each carried what looked like an anti-aircraft gun. 

"We will explain everything later, but we need you to come with us. It's very important." The girl said in firm tone.

Ash took a step back. It seemed that was all they needed. It was clear they were not going to wait for anything. The girl pulled out a small square device with a button on top of it. She pointed it at him and before he even had a chance to say another word, he was frozen to the spot and completely mute. Pikachu as well. She then walked behind him and he blacked out. 

When he came to, he was laying on his back in a huge room with a low ceiling and lots of other people. Some still unconscious, others just waking up like himself. He instinctively looked around for Pikachu, but couldn't find him. Trying to get up he discovered how bad his head hurt and he could not. Pain jumped through his body every time he moved. Everything felt slowed down. His movements, his thoughts. What was going on? And where was Pikachu? He looked around the room but couldn't focus on anything enough to put much together. The only thing close enough for him to really concentrate on was the person to the left of him. A girl, about his age, still asleep. She had really light almost silver shoulder length hair. She was flushed but her cheeks were rosy. At the time, the look on her face was confusing to Ash. She looked so peaceful, like most do when their asleep. However at the same time, her expression was unmistakably troubled. A soft feeling ran through him as he studied her features. It was sort of familiar and may have lead to a much deeper thought if his train of thinking was not disturbed at this time by someone entering the room through a door that opened from the bottom up. It was a man dressed in the same unusual gray outfit he had encountered before. He was carrying a guy over his shoulder who looked to be a few years older then Ash. He lay him down on the ground softly and picked up a girl a few feet away, carrying her out the way he came in. Frustrated, he closed his eyes and tried to concentrate. 

He must have fallen asleep, for when he opened his eyes again, he found that he was much more alert and it appeared that the room had cleared out somewhat. Before he could look around and maybe put some questions in his mind together, he realized he was being picked up. He tried to struggle but found himself overpowered. Unlike the other guy he had seen slung over a shoulder, he was not. Instead, he was held in the arms of who ever was carrying him facing the ceiling. He watched as the lights in the ceiling past by his view one by one. Their glow reminded him of that girl in the room he had just come from. For some reason, a memory, that he didn't remember getting, keep flashing through his mind. In it, she had opened her eyes, to reveal what almost looked like liquid and seemed to shine, even glow. 

Now, what happened next, was so unclear to him that all he could remember from it, was a series of strange things. Firstly, he could remember distinctly, an awful smell. Followed by may different colored lights, cold and hot sensations, a few moments of pain and tingling and then, lastly, electricity. Then as if it had been a dream, he was thinking clear, he was back to full strength and being forces down a hall and through a doorway. 

* * * * *

Ash sighed. Thinking it all through hadn't helped. If anything, he was more puzzled now then he was before. He stood up. Echoing his motion, just a few feet away, a rectangular chunk of the wall slid upward, letting light flow in. In the door appeared two more of the weird guard like people. They were holding a boy that looked to be Ash's age by the arms, and half dragging him into the room, dropped him and left. The boy's reaction to this was much like Ash's. 

"It's no use" Ash said dryly.

The boy, who was now cursing and threatening the wall, turned around to face him. "Who are you? And where the fuck are my pokemon? I swear, if you people don't give them back right now you'll be so damn ……". 

"Cool it for a sec will you! They got my Pikachu to." Ash said sitting back down. 

The boy was silent for a while and then sat down beside him. "So? You got any idea what's going on here?"

"No" Ash said flatly. 

This was followed by a strangely uneasy silence for to strangers. Ash was the one to break it. "Do you think you could take one of those guards if we jumped them?"

"Yeah. But that's one thing. Those ….. guns, are another."

Ash cocked and eyebrow at that last bit "Well, if you have a better idea, I'd love to hear it" 

He paused for a while, then moved over to the far side of were the doorway stood. "Okay, we jump them together when it opens."

Ash got up and stood a little in front of him marking clearly were the door was. "Considering it opens that is."

"Right." 

A grin almost crossed Ash's face. Almost. "You remind me of someone I used to know." 

"Yeah." He said grimly. "Strange you should say that. I've been thinking that you look familiar to. What's your name?"

"Ashura, though nobody's called me that for a long time." Ash replied. "You?"

"……………..Ash?"

The boy stared at him, a look of lost faith drawn across his face. That look made Ash's stomach roll. He had learned, that for him, familiarity was not the good thing it once was. It no longer held the warmth of love and friendship, but instead the harsh tones of his past. He could of kicked himself for being so careless about the uses of him name. It hadn't been used in a long while for a reason. 

"Yup, that's what I said. Why? Have you never herd the name before or something?" Ash said quickly, realizing immediately how stupid that sounded. 

It was a while before the boy spoke. "Ketchum? Is that really you?"

"Yah, do I know you?" Ash said, certain now that he did.

Suddenly, the boy lunged forward and landed a punch right in Ash's face. Then pined him up against the wall. "You jerk!" He yelled. "Fuck." He let go his grip and Ash slid to the ground. Then he turned away and started pacing. 

Ash, a little winded, look up and studied the boy features. He had been right about that familiar feeling being trouble. He was about his height, with longish brown hair. And that face. He did know that face. His lips betrayed his thoughts as they spoke the boy's name even before he realized it belonged to him. 

"Richie" Ash said softly getting up. "Nice to see you again." He knew it would be pointless to pretend that he couldn't find it in him to remember one of his old best friends.

Richie stopped pacing and looked at him. "Is it Ash? I'd say the same, but it's just nice enough to know that your…."

Before he could finish the door opened and both Ash and Richie charged at it. When they saw who it was that they tried to stop but couldn't and both smashed into an Officer Jenny. She pushed them both off her and stood back up.

"What's the meaning of this!" she demanded.

"Well I'd like to ask you the same!" Richie, voice almost at a yell, demanded back at her.

She mumbled something about listening to Joy next time then told them to get back in the room and she'd explain. They both hesitated for a moment, but when she entered first, decided to take the chance. 

"Okay" she began slowly. "Richie, I need you to clam down, all right." 

Richie's eyes widened and he looked like he was about to have a panic attack, but managed to cool off. He glanced at Ash, then looked back at Officer Jenny. It was as if he was doing battle with his thoughts. Officer Jenny cot this, and Ash found himself locked in her inquisitive stare as well.

"Good then." She said slowly, looking up at the ceiling as if she had forgotten what it was she was doing. "The others should be here any second now and then I'll get started."

As she said that, the sound of struggle could be herd from out side the room. "Why I'll have you know you big slab of garbage, that if you didn't have that stupid Halloween costume on, I'd……..OWWW! You pervert!" A girls voice boomed as a heap of people entered the room marched by a few of those guard like guy. 

One guy, and two girls, were forcefully directed over to were Officer Jenny stood while another girl was carried into the room via three guard people. They dropped her down beside Richie. 

"Strowbs!" Officer Jenny scolded one of the guards. "When I said to get the job done by any means possible, I didn't mean for you to go making these people feel more like abducties then they already do at will!"

"But…" Strowbs began.

"No buts about it! I picked you for leader of this squad because I thought you to be a caring person that believed in what he was doing. Someone who could do the stuff nobody wants to do just because it needs to be done and it's right!"

"But…"

"You are a part of our most…." Her lectures was put to a stop when the girl, who Strowbs had escorted in, kicked his legs out from under him and he fell to the ground with a thud. 

She then leaped on top of him and began elbowing him in the face. Officer Jenny, a little shocked by this, ripped the girl off him. 

"Listen" Jenny grunted while trying to keep a lock on the struggling girl. "I'll have a word with you later. Just get out of here for now."

With that, the guards all left, Strowbs shooting the girl a your crazy look as he went. 

"Okay, will you please stop shoving and let me explain!" Officer Jenny pleaded.

"No! Let me go! You have no right! None of you! You can't do this! You can't take my Pokemon away from me!" The girl scream pulling herself away.

She turned to look at everyone. Holding herself she took a few steps backwards, mid-stomach length sea-green hair a mess on her face.

"I know you don't understand, but you will get your pokemon back. You must just let me explain" Officer Jenny coaxed.

She took yet another step back. It wasn't till Richie walked up to her slowly, and speaking something softly so only she could hear it, that she aloud herself to be guided over toward Officer Jenny.

"I'm sorry for your inconvenience" Officer Jenny said to her. " I can just imagine what this is like. Please let me explain."

She did not answer, but did not protest either. Instead she was compelled to stare at Ash. As was the other boy who had entered just before her.

With a sinking feeling Ash look directly at Officer Jenny awaiting this much promised explanation. Pretending that their gazes weren't penetrating him like a bullet. To his relief, Officer Jenny started speaking and all attention was turned to her.


	2. Privileges

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Chapter 2: Privileges 

"Jess Noelle, it's bloody cold out here! Why couldn't they have chosen a warmer location?!"

A tall, eloquent girl, perched on a rock overlooking the sea. Her built, but athletic body was covered in a dark blue, almost black clothe, resembling a scuba-soot. A solid black protective gear covered her hit points. A short crop of deep wavy orange hair rested atop her head. She blew a lock of it out of her eyes with a quick twist of her lips. A concentrated look drew across her face.

"Dane, would you please shut up and focus. I've already answered that question for you like a million times." Noelle said turning to face her friend and the rocky mountain terrain behind him. Her eyes narrowed. "Something's not right."

Dane raised his eyebrows. "Oh, and why is that?" 

Noelle stepped off the rock and took a few steps towards the massive mountains before her. "I'm not quite sure…..don't you feel it? The water is to calm."

"Water gets calm Noelly. You should relax a little." He sat down on the rock Noelle had just gotten off of and look out at the Ocean. 

"Not like this it doesn't. Calm water is different. There's to much wind, and waters here, are never calm. It's….it's like it's deserted. No currents, no pokemon, nothing but water. Didn't they train you? Of all the people to get stuck with, why did it have to be you. I feel bad for your partner." No reply. "Dane?" Noelle looked back at him. He was still sitting on that rock with his feet hanging off the edge, starring quietly at the sea. "Great, so now you've decided to just ignore me all together." Still silence. "Dane? ……listen, I'm sorry. I didn't mean that." Again, no reply. "Dane!" She walked over to him and lay a hand on his shoulder. He was ice cold to the touch. "Dane……" she repeated, this time in a quiet voice more to herself. She had been so focused on that feeling of hers, which had now exploded, that she hadn't really noticed his unnatural position. He was hunched over slightly and his head hung from his shoulders limply. His arms dangled loosely beside his body. She lifter his head up. His neck, stiff and hard. Her gaze was met with a pale face. Purple-black lips, and frozen dilated eyes. He was dead. Shock filled her body and she let go of his head. The silence was now overwhelming and she dared not make a sound. A tear ran down her cheek. Then something cot her attention. A few feet to her left, small ripples in the water drifted out to sea from the shore. There had been no sound to indicate something entering or……leaving the water. Then her eyes locked onto something else. Footprints. Wet footprints. Leading away from that area of the shore to……she spun around. The tear on her cheek froze as again her gaze was met with the chill of ice.

* * * * * 

"Ahem, computer, activate holographic sequence 2225"Officer Jenny voiced, a small group before her. She had taken particular interest in this group and decided to do their briefing herself. "Now" she began. "There are a lot of things I am about to tell you, and not all of it is going to be easy for you to believe. It all starts and ends, with one question." She glanced at Ash. "What is it to be a Pokemon Master?"

"That's easy. A Pokemon Master is a very strong pokemon trainer. The best." A boy's voice stated.

"Yes, and no, Gary." As she said this, the room around them began to glow. Suddenly they were surrounded by a variety of pokemon and what looked to be their trainers. "Don't be alarmed, their only holographs."

"Ditto! That's my Ditto!" The girl with the green hair shrieked as she ran over to a Ditto and wrapped her arms around it. Much to her horror and surprise, her arms passed right through it. "What?" she whispered.

"Like I said, their only holographs." Officer Jenny said answering her question. "Is that not you right there Duplica?"

Duplica followed Officer Jenny's gaze to a girl standing in front off her. "Tha…..that's me."

"A younger version of you." Officer Jenny corrected. As she said this, various trainers and pokemon lit up. "In fact, everyone that has been recruited is here. We have been watching you for a very long time."

"Recruited? We? Who exactly are you?" Gary said eyeing a holograph of himself in a battle pose. Beside him, his Eevee, also looking ready for battle. 

"Like I said, I have a lot to explain and I will get to that. For now though, another few questions you should think about are, what exactly distinguishes us from pokemon? Element capability, right? Why is it that so many people train pokemon? Why do they compete in pokemon battles? To see who's the better? That sounds a lot like a sport to me, a game." Both Gary and Richie opened their mouths to protest, but Officer Jenny continued quickly. "Though, I don't think any of you would agree to that." As she said that the pokemon and their trainers faded away to be replaced by a new scene. It was night time and a quarter moon loomed in the sky. The area was lush with plant life and the sounds of wild pokemon could be heard in every direction. "The truth is" Officer Jenny said with a more harsh tone. "things weren't always as they are now a days." As if on queue, the bushes to the right parted and two girls stepped through them. They both had long dark hair and wore dress like outfits that seemed to be made out of some type of silk. One stood a few feet over the other and appeared to be the older of the two. 

"Meekatondru, mopid aken topez eya." The smaller one said in some weird language. 

"Jenkin soo dow teta, ki de ketinha napa mopid aken topez eya netro lega'rdida!" The other said in what appeared to be a scolding. 

"Hold" Officer Jenny said and the scene stopped suddenly. "You see, human beings were once born with element powers. But, unlike pokemon, we were not given that remarkable sense towards nature that pokemon are gifted with. We could not feel the natural balances, and because of that, we aloud greed and temptation to take over. As there is no strongest element, there was never a winner, just chaos. We went too far. Even to the point of sheer murder, for we have always had the ability to kill for our benefit." As she spoke those last words the scene came to life again…

"Galet ah teca bejora!" The smaller girl yelled, eyes changing to a red.

"Petcha! De ketinha napa!" The older looking girl roared eyes turning a bright green.

"Fassaaaaaaaaaaaa!" The smaller one yelled, eyes now burning a florescent crimson. An aura of fire now radiated off her body as she thrust one hand forward. Burning hot flames now surrounded the older girl before her.

"Petcha! Petcha! De Petcha napa!" she seemed to plead in agony. One could see a deep shade of green flow from her palms as if to fight back. However, this was soon gone as the younger one's eyes burned even brighter, dark, charcoal like rings forming around them. Within moments, the boils that had been bubbling up all over the older one's body in the scorching heat had been simply reduced to ash, along with the rest of her.

"My god……" One of the girls with short white-blond said with a terrified look on her face from the treachery she had just witnessed. 

"Yes, even the innocence of a child was corrupted by this plague of mankind and their teachings. Parents could give birth to a child of any element, and often, if that element was stronger, childish temper tantrums could go a long way. Or at least that is the best we can get from this image. Anyhow, we know for fact that we almost ruined out world, and if it weren't for The Keeper, we would have taken the pokemon with us. Now, The Keeper, he or she is a soul person given the job of protecting the world from major harms. The whole story to the Keeper is not fully known, though it is thought that The Keeper has always been human, and has always held immense psychic abilities. Above and beyond any other, human and pokemon alike. When a Keeper dies, their successor takes over. It is also thought that a successor is decided even before they are born." Officer Jenny paused for a moment, obviously expecting a solid round of questions.

"Wait, how exactly did you get this little horror movie?" Gary asked with a look of complete doubt on his face.

"Well, it's a computer replica of one of the visions that our psychics have described to us when coming in contact with a few hieroglyphics we found on the matter of geological history. It is, sad to say, the mildest of the lot. We wouldn't want to scare you right off the bat now would we." Was her reply. Gary pilled a face and asked nothing further.

"Well what about The Keeper?" A girl's voice questioned. It belonged to the last member of their little group. She was tall and postured with long, straight, dark green hair. "How did she stop us from destroying ourselves?"

Officer Jenny smiled. "Funny you should be the one to ask about the Keeper Alexis. You see, like a child acting up, The Keeper took away our toy. Our ability to posses elemental powers. With out it, we were at the mercy of the world, and had to learn to live with it in fairness. As well as with each other and the pokemon. Though, as you can see from our world today, we have managed to still cause troubles on our planet."

"So, then why is it that we still have psychics in the first place if all element powers were removed from us?" Alexis followed with an un-penetrable expression on her face. One could tell that she was a factual person and would reason only with truth.

"I can't tell you why for sure. There are theories though. One is that it was, even to The Keeper, impossible to erase all of a humans natural ability, and a mild amount of element was left. As most people at the time, were used to their full abilities, they could not feel it's presence. In that case, because of the nature of psychic powers, it was more recognizable, no, better put, unavoidable. That would also be a good reason for some peoples love of the sea, or" She got a frustrated look on her face. "Our pyro maniacs. God what I go through as a police officer! ……Sorry, back on track. The other rivaling theory is simply that psychic powers are not at all an elemental gift but separate. A basic openness in the minds of some individuals. Like some people have an amazing comprehension ability and excel in mathematics, only different. The, perhaps, more complete use of one's brain. As for pokemon with this so called element, it may simply be an extra to their real element. Like a psyduck or a venonat. Both these pokemon have other, more defining elements present at the same time."

"What about pokemon with the psychic classification as their primary element?" Alexis asked, seemingly determined to cover her thoughts. 

Officer Jenny looked at Alexis with a gaze that told everybody she had made up her mind about something. "Well, for example, a drowzee, it learns normal, poison, and ghost pokemon attacks as well. The psychic powers may, again be an extra."

"Then there's always an Abra and it's evaluations. A true psychic pokemon. And if you are going to question how valid the psychic element is in the first place, you can't help but as well question that of a the ghost element." She said this now, not as if troubled by a question, but instead, curious as to if a full answer could be given. 

Officer Jenny's grin widened with that. " Abra's, or at least it's evaluations, can be taut other attacks if needed to go with their immense intelligence. And as far as the ghost pokemon go, what you say is true, and in the end, it is still just a theory. Maybe you find the other one more reasonable. Or even, a combination of both may be the most accurate."

Alexis and Officer Jenny held a gaze with each other for quite some time as if they were both still arguing. Then Alexis looked away, satisfied, and Officer Jenny continued much to the relief of everyone else. "Now this brings us a little more to date. Four years ago, an event of which we have very limited knowledge about took place, and resulted in what is referred to as, The Hollowing. Twelve accomplished psychics over in the small town of Tenal, which, for those of you who don't know, is on the continent of Micha, touching the northwestern point of Lake Octet, performed a routine exorcism. A routine exorcism that went terribly wrong. They became empty, hollow. Souls lost to their bodies, and all that was left, if you choose to consider both theories, was their original element power and, bare human impulse. With nothing left to block the element's full strengths, they became strong, dangerous, and because of their purity as an element, almost undetectable in their natural habitat. The ultimate hunters. We believe they are hungry for the human soul as they don't have one themselves. Therefore they prey on their own race, in search of a soul. But they can never posses one again, their souls have already moved on. They must be stopped. The Micha Plague. The Kuws Town Child Murders. The Vockle City Deaths. The new Killer in Pewter and Cerulean City. The list goes on. We believe they are responsible for it all, and all who fall to their hands, we can be sure, suffer a horrifying and agonizing death. We believe, from our best counts, that at least two of these psychics possessed the ice element. Three, with the fire element, one with the rock element, another two with the electrical element, one with the water and one with the plant element. The others we can only guess at for now. This, as you can imagine, caused a large disturbance in the balance. We believe that the reason the pokemon haven't rebelled against it, is not because they are not a threat to them, but because they don't detect any off blanches as the peoples original souls are gone. We have found a pattern to these killings though. There is…..was, a total of 978 known people on the planet that have gifted affinities for an element. They seem to be drawn to them, consuming various victims in the process. We tried to reach them first, but we were, for the most part, unsuccessful. We recruited a few of them, but all the others went into hiding, or were killed." Silence filled the room and everyone took a moment to swallow the information and decide weather or not they believed it.

"Okay, considering that everything you say is true, why is it that the public doesn't know about this?" Gary asked. 

"Can you imagine the panic that would happen! They would all go nuts if they even believed us. Some of the victims don't train pokemon in the first place. They would all try to put a stop to it themselves, and that would result in the lost of many more lives. Only that of a pokemon master can rival their element abilities." Officer Jenny said, dipping her hand into her pocket. 

"Well, why are you only doing something about it now! After four years?" Richie exploded at that idea.

"That's exactly what the public would have said. It took research. Lot's of research. This is something that has never happened before, and this far off story I have just told you is not the first thing that comes to the minds of the officials when a murder is committed. It took a long time before we actually made the connection between the deaths and the psychics."

"Well what about the psychics? Could they not have told you all this?" Richie questioned.

"No, it was our pro psychics that at first, disagreed with this theory. Actually, they still do. They work in mystery and refuse to go any farther in this investigation. Regardless of weather we blame the deaths on the exorcism or normal people. They've all vanished." Officer Jenny said with a shiver. "When psychics get spooked, you know your in for it."

"But….you said your self that the psychics gave you the description for that holograph we saw?" Richie asked again, even more unsure of what he thought. 

Officer Jenny shook her head. "We got those images not from professional psychics, but from people that experience some visionary phenomena. They are the psychics who's powers are untamed and often experience pure visions without all the corruption of self training."

"Corruption of self training?" Alexis spat out as soon as Officer Jenny had finished.

"Yes, corruption. Psychics that use their powers for a living begin to expect what they will see inside a mind and can often look only for that and not be open to it's depths. That or they are scared of what they will find."

"Fine, fine! Psychic this, crazy humans that, whatever, I'll believe it. But what exactly are we here for?" Gary said in a very Gary voice.

Officer Jenny sighed. "I guess I should get to that. You see, the only people we know of to ever engage one of these beasts and live, is our current raining Pokemon Master, Paige Atraya, and Lance, our Dragon Master. Even then, they were together and came through in critical condition. We thought we would lose Paige for a while. So, from what we can get from their experience and the knowledge we've gathered, is that they must be completely stopped. Their bodies destroyed. Which is not at all an easy thing to do as they are immune to pain and human qualities, for, they are considered already dead. Only a Pokemon Master could rival their power. Even then, it is a long shot. Our best failed together."

Gary smirked. "So, you gathered us together because you need a lot of really good trainers to help you?"

"No." Officer Jenny said flatly. "We don't need good trainers, we need Pokemon Masters." 

Duplica looked puzzled. "But, none of us……" She glanced to her right quickly. "None of us are pokemon masters?"

Officer Jenny smiled. "True, but all of you could be one. Like I said, we have watched you for a long while and, we feel you are the best hope for our world. You all know what a gym leader is for right?"

"Yeah, a step way to becoming a master." It was Gary who answered again. 

"Not really. It is true that to get into the pokemon Masters tournament you must first collect the badges from the supporting gyms. The world is divided into sections, and to each section there is a leader who protects it from harm. They are what you know as a gym leader. The original gym leaders were very strong pokemon masters, who, if they wanted to keep the gym in the family, must train their children to be as good or better then themselves. But little trouble came about and with the new technologies, they began to leave things to the police. Their purpose was altered. And in doing that it has also made it easier to enter the Pokemon Master tournament then it should be. However, the top Pokemon Masters stayed strong. The ones you fight against in the League tournaments. And what they and their duties are, I am not privileged to say. That must be learned on your own."

"If you want us to be Masters so bad, why not make it easier and tell us?" Gary asked frustrated.

"Because, a part of becoming a Master is realizing the difference between a trainer, a Master, and, a pokemon." Officer Jenny paused, but no one said anything. "All of our recruits have been carefully selected and placed into 12 different categories. Water element trainers, fire element trainers, rock/ground element trainers, bug/poison type pokemon trainers, plant element trainers, ice element trainers, dragon trainers, electrical type pokemon trainers, normal type pokemon trainers, fighting pokemon trainers, a small group of pokemon breeders and watchers, and last but by far not least, you guys, multi- type pokemon trainers. Both you and your main pokemon needed to be tested to determine your grouping. Which is what you experienced a few minutes ago. Your pokemon are all fine and are currently relaxing in our indoor parks and will be returned to you within the next day." Duplica opened her mouth to say something but Officer Jenny cut her off. "Duplica, you are the only one here that chose to train a ditto, and because of it's nature, this is were you are best."

"You still haven't answered my first question." Gary frowned. "Who are you people?"

Officer Jenny cocked an eyebrow. "We're the Pokemon League. I thought you would have gotten that from my little story."

"So, why were you so ruff on us. Why couldn't you have told us this before you knocked us out and kidnapped us?" The girl with the blond hair spoke up.

"I am sorry about that Samantha, but it was a precautionary measure that we had to take. We had to be sure we had the right people before we went and briefed you." Officer Jenny smiled at her. "I didn't mean to scare you of all people Sam."

"Okay, with that said, were are we exactly and what do you plane to do, throw us at these monsters and hope our stills come through?" Richie asked.

Officer Jenny quickly shook her head. "No, of course not. Your lives are as important as those we are trying to save, thought we will have some loses. You will find out more about the battle plain later. My job is only to give you the history as we know it. As for our location, we are in a large underground base just off the western cost of lack octet."

"So, we do have the final say in if we want to do this, right?" Duplica asked, a torn look on her face. 

Officer Jenny took a deep breath. "Yes, you do, and if that is your final decision we will see you on your way. Though you will have no memory of these past two days." She looked them each over one by one. "However, more then you think went into your choosing, and I know, you each have a roll to play in this demon war yet." She smiled. "What do you all say."

Richie beamed at Gary. "You expect Gary to put his life on the line for others? Are we talking about the same person?"

Gary beamed back. "Well Mr. Do-right, it's obvious that I was chosen mainly for my superior talent as a trainer. I'm in."

"Yeah, I guess if Gary can do it, I can to." Richie said casually. 

"Make that three." Came Duplica's proud voice. 

"So what about the rest of you?" Officer Jenny asked. "Sam? Alexis? 

"I'll give it a try." Sam said quietly as Alexis nodded.

"Ashura?" Officer Jenny smiled, as all eyes made their way to him.

Ash, who hadn't said anything during the briefing looked directly at Officer Jenny. A coldness in his eyes. Her smile faded. Ash breathed in deep. "I'll be working with other potential trainers then…?" He said, a hint of dread in his voice.

"Yes" She said in an understanding voice.

Ash glanced to his left were the others stood. "Yeah"

That smile returned to Officer Jenny's face. "Great then. I'll show you to your quarters." She turned and headed towards the door, it opened as she approached it.

* * * * * *

"Sir? Sea-Dock One has just been activated?"

"What? There are no departures scheduled for this time!"

"I…I know Sir. It was activated manually." 

"But the only manual activation pad is outside the Sea-Dock!"

"Yes Sir, I know."

"……… Notify all security and master ranked personelle, then meet me on deck one."

"Yes Sir"

* * * * *

"The room we were just in is one of 12 VR rooms. There used for a variety of reason such as, training and briefing." Officer Jenny was saying, now proceeding down the hallway just outside the VR room they had been in. They walked in silence for a few minutes, being passed occasionally by the odd person in a lab coat. "The base is a 5 floor structure. Floor 1 being nearest the surface and going down from there." Officer Jenny said bringing an end to the silence. "The living quarters are on floor 3, so we'll have to go down a level." As she said this, the hallway ended and everyone stopped. 

Ash, who had been trailing at the back of their little group quietly, accidentally walked into the Duplica's back not realizing they had all stopped. "Uh, sorry Duplica." He said quickly, taking a step backwards. 

Duplica turned around. She just looked at him for a moment as if not sure what to do. "It's all right." She said, an awkward stare being held between them.

Officer Jenny turned to face the group. "The base has a circular shape, and at the north, south, east, and west points of every floor there is an elevator" she glanced to her left to indicate the rectangular shape in the wall with a small, black, reflective pad beside it which was the elevator. "And a stairwell." She drew their attention now to her right were another rectangular shape sat in the wall. "I think I'll take you guys down through the stair well. It's really kind of ……cool." She stepped up to the door and it opened in an upward swoop. "If you'll follow me then." She said entering the stairwell. 

Ash began to follow the group down, but not before looking back at Duplica. She was still staring at him. His stomach lurched and he smiled quickly before hurrying down the stairs behind Samantha. 

"Ashy Boy" Duplica whispered under her breath before following the group herself.

"My God! Wow…" Samantha breathed.

An exquisite iron staircase was spiraled around a huge concrete pillar that was carved with what looked like one of every type of known water pokemon. One side of the stairwell was encased in glass, looking out into the sea. Bright lights from outside the base lit up the water.

"Like I said," Came Officer Jenny's voice. "this is an underground base, and the east side of it touches the western point of Lake Octet. So, some parts of the structure get a beautiful view of the sea." 

"Beautiful is right." Samantha said while admiring the carved profile of a Dewgong. 

"Ahem, yeah. It's pretty, I'll give you all that much. I wasn't going to ask because I thought the obvious reason for this base of yours being underground was for security reasons. Instead you spent your time and effort on designing a good looking stairwell." Gary said staring at the pillar skeptically.

Officer Jenny shot him a look as the door to level 3 opened and she walk through it. "I'll have you know, that there are many reasons for this location being used. As for design, it was originally quite plain. However, there is more to pokemon training then physical work, and some of our pre-existing water pokemon masters decided to add this in. And yes, security is very tight here, that's why that glass in there would be capable of width-standing a minor nuclear blast after one thousand years of element exposure and water pressure necessary for it to undergo at this sea level."

Gary looked like he was going to follow with some smart-mouth comment, but seemed to decide against it.

"Well, here we are." Said Officer Jenny as they rounded a corner. "Each level has it's own purpose and this level rooms all our personelle. I'll show you your room and be on my way." She motioned to a room marked D305. "Computer, activate DNA remembrance for all chosen multi-trainer recruits. Authorization level Q1." As she said that, a little beep could be herd and a small, red square, light lit up the center of a little black pad next to the door of the room she had just pointed out. "Okay, I just made it possible for you to open doors. All basic doors, such as you will see in the hallways, will open when you get within two feet of them. Other doors used for more important reasons will have a black pad beside it. The pad will be plain if anyone can open the door. It will have a red light with one of 5 different shapes on it otherwise. You have the authority to open all doors that are plain or have a red square on it. In your room you will find all you need to train comfortably. You will also have a small holograph table and access to the main computer. Just say the word computer clearly before a question or statement. I'm sure you will be able to figure…" She stop talking suddenly and put a hand on her left ear. "I've got something very important to take care of, I'm sure you'll figure out what to do." With that she turned and ran back down the hall.

The group stood their for a minute not quite sure what to make of that. Then Gary smirked and stepped up to their room's door. "Open". He commanded. Nothing happened. "What?" He said puzzled. "Maybe Officer Jenny made a mistake?"

"Actually, I don't think she did." Alexis said in a very matter of fact voice. She placed her had on the pad and the door opened. "See, it's simple." She said to Gary without looking at him and walked into the room. 

Gary mumbled something to himself then followed her in. As did everyone else.

"I think I'll get used to this." Duplica was saying as she viewed the room.

It had an open kitchen with an island counter were the sink sat. Marble tiles lined the kitchen area floor, which descended into a soft purple carpet. There was a wide screen TV and a stereo system, viewed by a large, L shaped leather sofa. A round oak table was placed just to the right of the kitchen with a beautiful crystal chandelier hanging from the ceiling above it. Just beyond that was a series of six doors, each with a big brown bag in front of it.

"What?" Samantha said pulling a necklace with a green and yellow pendant hanging from it out of one of the brown bags. 

"Oh, that's my good luck charm?" Gary said walking over to her and digging threw the bag. "All this stuff is mine." Placing a hand on the solid black pad beside the door that the bag was in front of, he entered what looked like a bed room. " I guess we each get our own room"

"Oh, cool." Duplica said digging threw a bag herself. "Richie, I think this one is yours."

"What about this, who dose this belong to?" Samantha asked, pulling a photo out of another bag. 

"That's mine." Ash said quickly snatching the picture out of her hands. He noticed that everyone was now looking at him. He tried not to make eye contact with anyone, but couldn't seem to avoid Alexis's gaze for a brief moment. Her eyes sent a chill up his spine and he picked up his bag and hurried into his room. 

"What's up with him?" Came Samantha's confused voice. 

"Everything." Was Richie's reply.

* * * * *

Ash opened his eye. He found himself on a soft double bed. It took him a few minutes to let everything that had happened come back to him. When it did, it hit him like a wall. A few years ago, he had accomplished something he had worked so hard for, just to find that it would be his own defeat. He shook his head and pushed that memory away. He knew though, that it was a painful memory that couldn't stay in hiding much longer. A weird look crossed his face as his stomach let out a loud gurgle. That's when he remembered what Officer Jenny had said about if he decided not to do this he would have no memory of the past two days. Two days. Had it really been two days? He must have been knocked out for a long time. He was all disoriented, and couldn't have guessed the time of day, or night, to save his life. No wonder he was so hungry. He sat up and looked around, soon finding what he was looking for. The brown bag Samantha had pulled his picture out of. The Picture? He still held it tight in his hand. He looked at it. His face melted to an unreadable expression. Out of all the things they could have taken from his apartment, why this? He shook his head, seemingly snapping himself out of a day dream. He placed the picture face down on a dresser next to his bed. He then rummaged some more through the brown bag finding various personal objects like a tooth brush, clothing, poke balls……poke balls? Now Ash just looked confused. He decided to forget about it having enough to be confused about already. He got change, and only in doing this did he notice exactly which cloths had been brought over from his apartment. He smiled grimly at himself in the mirror he found in a bathroom attached to his room. The irony was just sad. The black top, blue jeans, those shoes. He pulled a face and headed for the door to the living room. He reached for the pad with his hand. He stopped and took a deep breath. Some of the people he expected to find on the other side of the door were once his best friends. How could he be this uncomfortable. This nervous. For two years. He opened the door. 

* * * * *

"Move! Move! Get out of my way!" A girl shouted while pushing her way through a jumble of people. Her bright blue eyes were puffy and red, obviously from having been crying, but now, distinctly angry. Long, light copper-brown hair trailed a mess at her back. Her focus seemed to be on a room directly ahead. In front of it stood a guy who looked to be about twenty. "Let me in!" She demanded in his face.

He stared at her blankly. "No unauthorized personelle beyond this point."

She eyed the black pad beside the door. A red hexagon glowed in the center. "Bull shit Derrick! Don't you dare pull rank on me! Open the door!"

Derrick's face softened a bit. "Sara, I can't do that. You know I can't. She's in critical condition, there's nothing good you could do for her anyway."

Sara frowned at him. "Hell you can't!" she spat, grabbing his arm and forcing his hand onto the pad. The door opened and she slipped in quickly. Almost at once two men in gray armored outfits were on her. Dragging her back out of the room. "Let go! Let me see her! She's my partner! My Best friend!" She screamed, tears once again shedding down her cheeks in both furry and pain. 

"It's okay." Came a voice. It belonged to a gray-haired man in a long white lab coat. "She can come in. It's one thing for us to be careful, it's another for us to be heartless. Besides, she dose have a right to be here regardless of what her rank is." The two guards backed off and Sara slowly approached the man.

"Thank You Professor." She said shooting an evil look at the to guards that had held her. "Will she be okay?" 

"She'll pull through. See for yourself." He said bringing her attention to a hospital bed behind her. 

Sara turned around. A look of relief brushed over her face as she took the pale hands of her best friend in hers. 


End file.
